These are quite possibly the most spectacular wedding photographs I have ever seen. Breathtaking. Beyond stunning. Captured by Elizabeth Kowal of White Album Weddings, the images (and the beautiful bride) completely blew me away. And to make them even more special, the bride is Elizabeth’s gorgeous daughter. Swoon. Click here to see the full wedding.
{Click here to see the full wedding}
I met Taylor just three months before I planned to leave for an 8 month trip to South America so the timing wasn’t great for starting a relationship but we fell in love with each other over many long e-mails and tearful phone calls. We decided to defy the odds and commit to each other even though we wouldn’t see each other for months. Taylor asked me to marry him two and a half years later while we were away on a weekend trip at Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, Alberta. He also gave me a necklace he’d had specially made for me out of two of his late mother’s diamonds. We started planning our wedding that night!
Taylor and I wanted to plan our wedding over a whole weekend where our families would get a chance to get to know each other and really relax. We weren’t worried so much about formal wedding traditions, it was more important to us that the day be meaningful for us and for our family. We found the perfect place in the small coastal town of Ucluelet. After receiving a tip from a local resident we found a rocky outcrop in the Pacific Rim National Park on Wickaninish Beach. The rugged outcroppings of rocks scattered across the beach were dramatic and the footpath leading up to the beach made a more beautiful aisle for me to walk down than I ever could have imagined!
Mother Nature did most of the work for us. We took cues from the rugged coastline using a sand dollar on our invitations and programs from Blue Venus Invitations in Vancouver, B. C. But the most meaningful part of our decor came while we were going through some of Taylor’s mom’s things shortly after she unexpectedly passed away. We came across an old chair which she was in the process of refinishing. I painted it turquoise to tie it in with the beach setting and we included it in our ceremony in her memory. Some of our favorite pictures from the ceremony are of that chair sitting out on the rocks in the fog.
I found the dress while searching Style Me Pretty for ideas and as soon as I read your post featuring Saja wedding dresses I knew I’d found the perfect dress for me. I took a road trip with my mom and sister to Portland, Oregon in search of the dress, and after trying just a few dresses I found my silk chiffon Grecian style dress. The dress is light and ethereal, and made me feel sweet and romantic, and the natural color was perfect for our West Coast setting. I decided to pass on shoes all together at the last minute and go barefoot. Taylor chose a light grey suit by Hugo Boss. with a yellow and gray tie.
Our flowers were made by Hilary Miles Flowers. I chose a wired bouquet bound in ivory ribbon with a mix of soft celery greens, whites, and ivory orchids, calla lilies, double lisianthus, and roses. It was a little dicey transporting the flowers 6 hours in the heat of summer, but they made it without incident.
My most unforgettable moment…standing on the edge of the beach waiting to walk to the rock outcropping for our ceremony was one of the most meaningful moments of the day for me. The fog rolled in just as everyone was gathering. As I walked barefoot along the beach… seeing Taylor and our guests waiting up on the rocks was a moment I will never forget. I was able to reflect on everything that had bought Taylor and I to this day, and my bare feet in the sand made me feel grounded and calmed any nerves I had had about not having written down my vows. By the time I reached everyone on the rocks I knew exactly what I wanted to say.
After the ceremony we celebrated with a bottle of champagne out on the rocks and then made our way back to the resort for cocktails and dinner.
As for photography, there was never a question about who would photograph our wedding. And there is no doubt that the pictures from the weekend captured all of the meaning and emotion of the event. Our photographers were my mom and stepdad who run a photography studio called White Album Weddings. My mom still says that she felt privileged to be able to photograph her own daughter on her wedding day, but in order for her to be able to relax and be a part of the important events of the day, my stepdad allowed her to put down her camera during the ceremony and helped document our amazing day. The photographs still give me chills!
Venue: Black Rock Ocean Front Resort / Pacific Rim National Park on Wickaninish Beach / Photography: White Album Weddings / Invitations: Blue Venus Invitations / Flowers: Hilary Miles Flowers / Dress: Saja wedding dresses / Suit: Hugo Boss